Environmental Enhancement
We are working to enhance our campus so that it can better support human health and wildlife.
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In the context of mass extinction and worldwide contamination of air, water and soil, Goldsmiths is taking actions to improve life for animals, plants and people on our South East London campus and in New Cross.
This work is part of our commitment to a Green New Deal for Goldsmiths.
Our Action Plan
Environmental Enhancement Action Plan
We have three key objectives which will guide our work on environmental enhancement until 2026:
A key focus of our environmental enhancement work is improving biodiversity on our campus.
In the 2020-21 academic year, we will deliver an initial 12-month Biodiversity Management Strategy (PDF). This builds on the findings of an ecological review of the Goldsmiths campus and Loring Sports Ground conducted in 2019 and will involve comprehensive surveying of the Goldsmiths estate.
The work done in 2020-21 will facilitate the development of a five-year Biodiversity Management strategy, to be delivered 2021-2026.
In 2020-21 we will also implement our commitment to go herbicide and pesticide-free and will reintroduce composting and green waste reuse on campus.
We want to raise awareness of the many teaching, research and wellbeing resources available to students and staff on the Goldsmiths campus, including the Goldsmiths Allotment, Pigment Garden and the planned Art Research Garden.
We will also look for other ways our campus can be used to support curricula focused on environmental justice and sustainability.
To help increase enjoyment of our campus and knowledge of its plants and wildlife, we will add new signage highlighting environmental features and important biodiverse habitats. We also plan to organise events such as bat walks for our students, staff and wider community.
A range of volunteer opportunities will be created for students and staff interested in maintaining and improving our campus environment. These will include activities designed to support our Biodiversity Management Strategy, for example monitoring species of animals found on campus.
Enhancing our local environment means working with our neighbours in Lewisham, from consulting with local schools and community groups on reducing vehicle traffic to coordinating with nearby green spaces.
We will build partnerships with local organisations who have a shared interest in improving our local environment in New Cross.
These partnerships will facilitate the exchange of volunteers, knowledge, plants and machinery to support environmental enhancement work across our local area.
Our plans
We are working with ecologists to deliver recommendations from an ecological review of the Goldsmiths campus and Loring Sports Ground.
Some key steps we are taking include:
- Ending the use of pesticides and herbicides and embedding more environmentally friendly campus management methods
- Planting and maintaining trees on our campus, as well as hedging and flora that will increase forage for insects and birds
- Adding new features to provide habitats for pollinators, amphibians and invertebrates. These may include small meadows, wildlife ponds and woodpiles
- Adapting infrastructures to improve life on our campus for a range of species, for example through adding bird and bat boxes and creating hedgehog passageways in fences
- Reducing lawnmowing, especially during the summer months when insects need longer grass to reproduce
- Moving composting onsite to minimise the haulage of green waste